Things Aren't Always What They Seem
by ripples-in-the-water
Summary: Danny has just moved to Amity Park. He sees a group of guys playing football and they tell him he can play, if he beats one of them in chicken. He finds out things aren't always what they seem.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer I do not own Danny Phantom

-1

Danny Fenton looked out his window and at the new town his family would now call home. Being only ten, his mother felt the need to unpack for him while he went outside with hopes of making new friends.

"Just remember to be yourself and try not to get into trouble." His mother called as he ran out the door.

Amity Park had a lot to offer for a new kid in town. It had a burger joint, and arcade, a water park, and even a park with swings. Now he just had to find a few kids to play with. As he walked past the park's swings he noticed a group of kids playing football. He ran over and waited on the sidelines until the tall blonde boy scored a touch down.

"Hey can I play?" Danny asked in a timid voice.

The kids stopped celebrating the touch down and turned to Danny. The tall blonde boy, who was the biggest of the kids, walked up to Danny and stood face to face with him. The other boys soon followed forming a loose circle around Danny and the other boy.

"Hey, I've never seen you around here before. What's your name?" Danny was asked by the tall boy.

"I'm D-Danny." He stuttered. "I just moved here."

The boys around them started to laugh and whisper amongst themselves.

"Well new kid I can't let you play with us then. You see we have a rule. No new kids can play with us unless they can beat one of us in chicken." The boy said with a grin.

"What's chicken?" Danny asked causing the boys around them to burst out laughing.

A boy with glasses and a red beret stepped forward and looked at the tall blonde boy as if asking for permission to speak. After receiving a not the boy explained.

"I'm Tucker Foley. Everyone calls me Tucker. The big guy's Dash. Anyways, chicken is a fight were two people stand on cement blocks and try to knock their opponent off their block. The last one remaining on their block is the winner."

Tucker stepped back into his place in the circle and Dash stood across from Danny again.

"Ok new kid, you want to play with us you'll have to prove you're as tough as us. You pick the guy you want to fight and if you win we'll let you play. Sound fair?" He asked Danny.

Danny nodded in agreement scanning the group of boys for some one he would at least stand a chance pf beating. Dash was at least a foot taller and thirty pounds heavier than he was. Not the best choice. Next to Dash stands Tucker. Maybe him, but he could be stronger than he looks if he was able to beat Dash or any of the other boys… Wait a minute. In the back was a small boy with a purple hat and jet black hair.

"Him." Danny said pointing to the boy in the hat.

The group started to laugh as the boy stepped forward but Dash held out his arm.

"You can't fight Sam. Sam's a -"

"Dash you said he could pick any one. After all I'm one of the guys. It's only fair." He said cutting Dash off.

"Ok Sam. If you think you can take him, but don't come crying to me if you get hurt."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer I don't own Danny Phantom

**-2**

"Ok Sam. If you think you can take him, but don't come crying to me if you get hurt."

Dash's comment was returned with a glare from Sam who then turned to face Danny.

Danny studied his opponent now that he could get a closer look. Sam was short and scrawny. He didn't seem like such a challenge, but Danny wasn't going to give Sam an advantage by underestimating him.

"Tucker, get the blocks." Tucker hurried away at Dash's command and came back dragging two cement construction blocks. He placed them side by side about an arm's length apart.

"The rules are simple." Dash said looking at Danny. "The first one knocked off their block loses. Anything goes but you can't use anything but your body to hit your opponent. And no hitting below the belt" He finished with a pointed look to Sam.

Danny and Sam stepped onto the blocks facing each other. Dash waved his arm between them to signal the start of the match. Sam was the first to strike with a quick kick to the side of Danny's leg. The blow made him wobble on one leg and on reflex he threw his arms out to his sides to regain his balance. As soon as he was back in position he dodged a punch to the face. Sam was a better fighter than Danny had thought, even when he wasn't underestimating him. He only way to take Sam down would be a surprise attack. He'd only have one chance to take Sam down so he had to think fast.

Danny gave the same kick Sam had landed on him but as Sam went to block it Danny pulled back and grabbed Sam's arm with his left hand. Sam fought to break the hold on his arm but Danny was too strong. As Sam pulled back to try another kick, Danny threw a right hook for Sam's face.

In the struggle of moving to get a better chance to kick Danny, Sam's hat fell off his head. Long black hair came cascading down past Sam's shoulders. The shock of it caused Danny to miss his target of Sam's face. The force of the missed punch caused Danny to spin around and lose his balance. Feeling a kick on his butt, Danny lost his balance and fell off his block.

Danny had lost. Not only that, but he had lost to a girl.


	3. Chapter 3

-1Disclaimer I don't own Danny Phantom

-3

Danny had lost. Not only that, but he had lost to a girl.

Sam stepped off her block and reached down to help Danny from the ground. As Danny stood he realized just how long her hair was. How the heck did he not notice it all under her hat?! He watched her as she walked over to talk to Dash.

"Don't worry, you're not the only guy to get beaten down by Sam." Tucker said, coming to stand next to Danny. "She goes for the throat, must be a girl thing."

"I didn't know Sam was even a girl until her hat feel off." Danny admitted to the other boy.

"I didn't find out until we went swimming at the lake, and that was three months after I met her."

Before anymore could be said, Dash stepped forward calling for silence.

"New kid you lost, and by our rules that means you'll have to go." Danny's head fell.

"However, Sam thinks you fought well enough to stay. So I say everyone should vote on it."

"That's not fair. I had to fight twice to get you guys to let me play." Cried a tall boy standing behind Sam.

Sam whirled around to face the boy who towered over her.

"Because you couldn't beat me your first try, and if Tucker hadn't been sick you'd have lost your second fight too. We all know he would have won if my hat falling off didn't surprise him." she yelled at the boy.

"Sam's right Brad." Dash said to the boy. "Danny didn't know what he was getting into. You knew Sam was a girl when you chose to fight her. You had a fair fight, Danny didn't. It's only fair to have a vote."

"Those who think Danny should have to fight again, raise your hand."

Brad shot his hand in the air. Everyone else was still.

"All those who say he can stay."

One by one everyone but Brad started to raise their hands.

"Ok, welcome to the group Danny" said Dash holding out his hand.

Danny shook it with a smile on his face. His first day in town a new town and he already had friends.

They started a game of football, during which Danny why all the guys wanted Sam on their team. She had a good arm and was fastest on the field. Her small size helped her maneuver around the bigger boys. Even with all that talent, the one thing Danny really noticed about Sam was that she was a team player. She gave everyone a chance and she didn't brag too much when she showed up Brad.

They played until the street lights came on. Everyone started walking home when Danny noticed Sam walking towards his street. He quickened his pace until they were side by side.

"Thanks for talking Dash into letting me stay." Danny said as they walked down the street.

"No problem. It was only fair." She replied. "So do you live down this street."

"Yeah. My house is that one." He said pointing a little ahead of them. "Where do you live?"

"I'm down by the end of the street."

They walked until they got to Danny's house where they stopped.

"Thanks again." He said as he went to his door.

"See you tomorrow." Was her reply as she continued walking down the street.

Danny watched her until she turned at the end of the street and out of sight. He entered his house smiling.

"Welcome home dear." Was his mother's greeting. "How was your first day exploring?"

Danny told her about the boys he had met and his new friend Sam. Pretty sure it would fall under his mother's category of trouble, he decided not to tell her of the chicken fight. After all what she didn't know would keep him from being grounded.

Sorry this is so short but I get really bad writter's block. On top of that I hate not up dating, so I figure some story is better than no story. I up date at least everyother day. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer I don't own Danny Phantom

-4

Danny awoke the next morning to the sunlight shining through his uncovered window. Making a mental note to have his mother put up his blinds, we got out of bed and walked to his bathroom to prepare for the day. After showering and brushing his teeth he made his way to the open boxes that still held his clothes. After grabbing a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans he quickly changed into them and made his way downstairs. He found his father making pancakes while his mother sat at the table trying to fix one of the inventions his father had recently made.

Danny sat down next to his mother as his father set a pile of pancakes in front of him.

"My famous Fentocakes" his father said as he added butter and syrup to Danny's pancakes.

Danny dug into his food as fast as he could so he could go out side as soon as he way allowed. Once he was done he took his plate to the sink and cleaned it in hopes his parents would see how mature he was. His mother looked up at him as he died his plate off.

"Danny what are you going to do today?" She asked.

"Is it okay if I go and play with my friends." His heart lifted as he said friends. Noticing her son's smile, Maddy Fenton found it hard to deny her son. Telling him he could go, she barely had time to be home for lunch as he raced out the door.

Walking down the street, Danny noticed his friends at the park playing baseball. As Danny drew closer Dash pointed to the dug-out, signaling Danny to the team at bat. Danny was happy to realize he had been put on Sam's team. Sam was up to bat while Brad was at the mound. Tucker was on first base calling out to those around him that the pitcher had a big butt. Brad threw the ball low and to the left of the plate. Sam let it go by as Dash, being the catcher and the ump, called it a ball. As soon as Brad had released the ball Tucker stole second base.

"Why don't you try to throw something she can hit." Dash said as he threw the ball back to Brad.

Brad glared at Sam. She was always making him look bad. It was her fault Dash thought he was a whimp. He'd show her. Brad thought to himself as he alined with the mound and prepared to throw a pitch that would once and for all show Sam who was the better player. Nodding to the catcher Brad threw a curve ball with all his might knowing Sam wouldn't be able to touch it.

Sam decided to prove just how wrong boys could be about girls. Taking a deep breath she swung the bat with all her might. Feeling the satisfying sting on her hands as the bat connected with the ball, Sam knew she had hit a grand slam. Sam dropped the bat and threw a snug grin in Brad's direction. Sam skipped her way around the bases as the ball she hit went flying over the outfielder's head. As Tucker came into home plate, Danny and his teammates made their way to congradulate Sam on her homer. The cheers grew even louder as she made her way around third and headed for home.

Before Sam could touch home plate, Brad charged at her. With a well placed sucker punch to the jaw, Brad was able to knock Sam to the ground. For a second no one move. The air stood still as everyone looked at the motionless Sam who laid in a heap on the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer I don't own Danny Phantom

-5

The air stood still as everyone looked at the motionless Sam who laid in a heap on the ground.

Danny was the first to move. He went over to Sam's body and carefully turned her over so she lay loosely in his arms. The movement caused Sam's eyes to flutter open. Her eyes were glazed and she looked around confused. Danny tightened his arms around her so he could keep her safe. He couldn't believe that someone would try to hurt Sam. Sure, she was as strong as any of the boys, but she was smaller than all of them. She was funny and nice and she wouldn't hurt a fly.

"I'm gonna kill that bastard when I get my hands on him!" Sam called out, breaking Danny from his thoughts. Sam put a hand to her head to stop it from spinning as she tried to stand. Too dizzy to stand, she stayed in Danny's arms and looked at Brad.

"You got ten seconds and then I'm getting up."

That seemed to be all the warning Brad needed. He turned and ran fron Sam and the rest of her friends. When the trail of dust settled Dash came over to where Danny and Sam sat.

"Want me to beat him up?" Dash asked Sam.

"Yes, but then it wouldn't be fair if we both beat him up now would it?" Sam replied with a grin on her face. The group of friends laughed knowing Sam wouldn't hurt a fly, but that gum drops would fall from the sky before she ever let someone get away unscarred after hurting her.

She stood up slowly, dusting off her pants. She reached down to help Danny stand. As she pulled him up he couldn't help but notice how warm the hand holding his was. He just stood there holding her hand, oblivious to the look Sam was giving him. Sam just shrugged and let him hold her hand. She turned to Dash suggesting they get back to the baseball game.

"Oh no. You're going home. I'm not getting in trouble with your mom." Dash said.

"No fair. Why do we have to tell her anything happened?" Sam whined. "You know she'll make me stay home for the rest of the day."

"Good. You need the rest." After getting a glare from Sam he added, "How about we all go with you and watch a movie?"

She nodded. It wasn't what she had wanted to do but it was better than spending the day being alone and bored in her room.


End file.
